A PRE-SCHOOL is celebrating World Autism Week to raise money for a boy with additional needs.

Max Farago attends Little Me Pre-School in Braintree, and he has just been officially diagnosed with Autism.

This week, the pre- school is holding activities to raise money to buy him a weighted blanket.

Lisa Smith, who owns the pre-school, said the weighted blankets can start at £250.

She said: “Autistic children can have severe sensory needs and Max likes to have a heavy feeling on him.

“We do sensory massages and he likes to have a beanbag placed over him, which I then have to lay on. He would be able to use the weighted blanket to help him sleep at home, and he can bring it to pre-school.”

Mrs Smith said Max, three, sometimes lacks spatial awareness and finds it difficult to communicate.

She said: “He is a very lively little boy, he will run around and will not sit down, but the children just see him as one of them, it’s really sweet.

“He is the sweetest child and it’s heartbreaking that the family has to go through this.”

On Monday and Tuesday the children were invited to wear pyjamas for a donation, on Wednesday they had a cake sale.

On Friday the children are holding a superhero day.

Max now attends afternoon sessions at the pre-school in East Street as there are less children.

Lisa said he was a lot calmer since they changed his sessions, and he enjoys his time at the nursery.